Soldier Honored: Matthew D. Lynch

Dates:
October 30, 2004 Hometown:
Jericho, New York Branch of Service:
Army Rank:
1st Lt.

Being a Marine was not only Matt Lynch’s desire, it was his destiny, as he sought to follow in the footsteps of his father and older brother. A 2001 graduate from Duke University, Lynch immediately enrolled with the Marine Corps and attended Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Regiment based out of Camp Pendleton, California and was serving his third tour of duty with his unit in Iraq when, on October 30, 2004, he was fatally wounded in the neck by flying shrapnel from an improvised explosive device.

Remembered by his friends back in Jericho, New York as a loyal friend and trusted leader, the 25-year-old was a fierce competitor on the playing field but friendly everywhere else. Retired Maine Capt. Mike Scotti, who served with Lynch, says of Lynch’s desire to accompany his unit back to Iraq for the third time, “Lynch had a lot of friends over there and he would have felt guilty not being with them. You may think you are out, but the war never leaves you.”